Setting Goals & Objectives

March 22, 2016

As managers we all have situations in which we set goals.  We set goals for ourselves; for our subordinates; for our entire departments or corporations.  Setting goals and objectives is an inherent task in the corporate world whether it is a for-profit or not-profit organization.  Until we set goals and objectives we can’t really measure […]

Read the full article →

Accountability and Delegation

January 27, 2016

Every day I see overworked business owners or managers desperate to delegate some of their more routine work to subordinates.  However, they express fear that the delegated tasks will not get completed in the manner they expect, or that their subordinates are not capable of performing the work.  This fear leads the managers to fret […]

Read the full article →

Bonus Systems – To Be or Not to Be?

November 4, 2015

Many companies use a system of bonus payments to employees as a way to reward good performance and to motivate employees to stay focused on company goals.  When companies approach me for for assistance in establishing or reviewing a bonus system, there are several guidelines that I follow in setting up a system that will […]

Read the full article →

Tips for Increasing Your Personal Productivity – Part 2

September 21, 2015

In last month’s article on improving personal productivity, we looked at several habits that would enable you to make better use of your time and increase your company’s or department’s productivity.  This month’s article will continue with that theme and show other good time management habits. Don’t Multitask: It simply doesn’t work!  Multi-tasking wastes time […]

Read the full article →

Tips for Increasing Your Personal Productivity – Part 1

September 21, 2015

We are all seeking ways to improve the productivity of our work forces.  We recognize that increased productivity means increased profits.  But how many of us are looking to increase our own personal productivity.  Sometimes we get too focused on our work force and fail to realize that we can have a bigger impact on […]

Read the full article →

Non-Manipulative Selling- How to Create Customers

July 17, 2015

There have been many theories about selling and sales techniques.  However, you may not have heard of one technique that has been proven to yield significant benefits with its application.  This technique is titled “Non-Manipulative Selling” and I would refer you to the book, Non-Manipulative Selling by Tony Alessandra, Phil Wexler and Rick Barrera.  The […]

Read the full article →

Staff & Line- Measuring Performance

April 22, 2015

Everyone is familiar with the business organization concept of Staff & Line.  In your Business Management 101 course Line could have been defined as someone who has direct responsibility to make a product.   A Staff person is defined as someone who is not in the direct chain of operational command but does managerial work to […]

Read the full article →

Customer Relationship Management – How Are You Servicing Your Customers?

April 1, 2015

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a powerful sales and marketing tool that has important implications for manufacturing and inventory management.  Many companies use a CRM software program to collect and manage customer communications, order entry, marketing and sales actions.  In many Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software systems, CRM is built in on the front end […]

Read the full article →

Total Cost of Ownership- Purchasing Evaluation

February 27, 2015

We have recently seen supply chain disruptions caused by a shortage of over-the-road truck drivers, a shortage of rail capacity and shipping delays.  Many companies have had to take expensive remedial measures to ensure the flow of raw materials and components.  As companies work through these problems many of them are reevaluating their supply chains.  […]

Read the full article →

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Evaluation Method

January 27, 2015

When evaluating a vendor or sourcing a supply for a component, most companies look at the vendor cost to provide the key component.  Only cursory investigation is made into the transportation costs, inventory carrying costs, inspection costs or the time your money is tied up before you can sell the product to a customer.  However, […]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →